In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge's performance was widely lauded, with India.Arie writing "I Am Not My Hair" about Etheridge. Later that year, Etheridge released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. The album was a huge success, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200, and going Gold immediately. Her latest release is 4th Street Feeling.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals." She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.
Imagine That
Melissa Etheridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her soldier the ultimate cost
She went to the man
Who has been told he's a king
Waited outside of his compound
To ask him a few things
Ya-I-ya-a-wayy
She said "for what noble cause
Did my son have to die?
Tell me where are there weapons?
Why did you have to lie?"
Imagine that
A lieutenant in the army
In his heart and his soul he believes
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave
Now he's standing on trial
For he will not behave
As they wish
Ya-I-ya-a-wayy
He said "I believe the constitution
To defend it and uphold
I will not fight your war for profit
No sir I will not go"
Imagine that
A scientist and his machine
The smallest of life he has seen
Inside matter inside atoms
As far as you can go
He saw the strings of life that vibrate
With the universal flow
Ya-I-ya-a-wayy
He said "I have seen the spirit
And all its creation
Its in each and every thought
And all our intentions"
Imagine that
Imagine that
Imagine that
Imagine that
The song "Imagine That" by Melissa Etheridge is about three different individuals who stand up and question the status quo. In the first verse, a mother who has lost her soldier son in a war goes to ask the man who has been told he is a king, why her son had to die, and where the weapons are. Through this verse, the song questions the motives of those in power, and highlights the cost of war on individuals and families. In the second verse, a lieutenant in the army faces a trial because he refuses to fight for profit, and instead, wants to uphold the constitution. This verse highlights the importance of questioning authority and standing up for one's beliefs. In the final verse, a scientist who has delved deep into the world of atoms and seen the smallest matter, talks about the spiritual nature of everything that surrounds us. He talks about the strings of life that vibrate with the universal flow, highlighting the interconnectedness of everything on this planet.
Line by Line Meaning
A mother was grieving her loss
There was a mother who was deeply saddened by the loss of her son
Her soldier the ultimate cost
Her son had paid the ultimate cost as a soldier
She went to the man
She went to a man whom she believed could give her answers
Who has been told he's a king
The man she went to had been given a lot of power and authority
Waited outside of his compound
She waited outside his residence to speak with him
To ask him a few things
She wanted to ask him some important questions
Ya-I-ya-a-wayy
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
She said "for what noble cause
She asked him what the noble cause for which her son had died was
Did my son have to die?
She asked why her son had to die
Tell me where are there weapons?
She asked where the weapons were that had been used to justify the war
Why did you have to lie?"
She asked why he had to lie about the justification of the war
Imagine that
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
A lieutenant in the army
There was a lieutenant in the army
In his heart and his soul he believes
He strongly believed in something with all of his heart and soul
In the land of the free
He believed in the freedom of his country
And the home of the brave
He believed in the bravery of his fellow soldiers
Now he's standing on trial
He was on trial for something
For he will not behave
He refused to behave in a certain way
As they wish
He did not comply with the wishes of those in power
He said "I believe the constitution
He stated that he believed in the constitution
To defend it and uphold
He believed his duty was to defend and uphold the constitution
I will not fight your war for profit
He refused to fight in the war for the sake of profit
No sir I will not go"
He refused to be a part of the war
A scientist and his machine
There was a scientist and his machine
The smallest of life he has seen
The scientist had seen the smallest forms of life
Inside matter inside atoms
The scientist had observed life at the atomic level
As far as you can go
He had gone deep into the study of atoms and matter
He saw the strings of life that vibrate
He observed the vibrations of the strings of life in matter
With the universal flow
He saw how everything was connected in the universe
He said "I have seen the spirit
He spoke of having seen the spirit
And all its creation
He saw how everything was connected through the spirit
Its in each and every thought
The spirit can be found in every thought
And all our intentions"
The spirit is present in every intention we have
Imagine that
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
Imagine that
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
Imagine that
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
Imagine that
This line is a chorus and has no specific meaning
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MELISSA ETHERIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind